Clippers news: Lamar Odom not feeling regret over Mavericks stint

Los Angeles Clippers’ forward Lamar Odom doesn’t sound remorseful following his actions while in a Dallas Mavericks uniform last season.

Odom was traded to Dallas by the Los Angeles Lakers last season after their attempt at acquiring Chris Paul from New Orleans was met with a veto by NBA commissioner David Stern. Once Odom found out that not only was he going to be traded, but that the trade didn’t go through, he said that felt disrespected after he learned of the Hornets’ trade through the media. He then requested a trade from the Lakers to another contending team.

“Guilty? No, no, no,” Odom said when asked if he felt guilt about the way his season in Dallas unfolded. “It happens.”

“I was telling one of my friends, right, that you got some people, they meet and they can be married for 40 years and after 40 years they get a divorce. They could have been high school sweethearts. Then you got people that meet one night, have a glass of wine with each other and they talk and then they’re married for 100 years.

“This is a relationship-built business. Sometimes people just see things differently.”

While Odom’s words might be a little confusing, it seems as though the former Sixth Man of the Year award winner still hasn’t placed the blame for his awful 2011-12 campaign where it belongs, on his own shoulders.

“See what someone says, I can’t see what’s in your heart and in your mind or what you’re thinking,” Odom said. “So I can say, ‘F— that garbage can,’ but I love it. And you wouldn’t ever know, because every time I come up to you I say, ‘F— that garbage can,’ you know what I’m saying?”

We don’t know what he means, of course, but the alternative to him just saying he is sorry for being unprofessional is this type of response. Some might argue that it’s a bit of a surprise that behavior like this isn’t more typical in pro sports today. Maybe Odom didn’t appreciate being treated like an asset or a piece of meat. After all, he did help the Lakers win two straight championships and played a vital role in another NBA Finals appearance a year prior. He played center when Andrew Bynum was hurt and helped man a bench that was one of the best in the league. His versatility and unique skill set was a weapon the Lakers used well in their playoff runs.

One thing that seemed to doom Odom was his apparent lack of effort on some nights and general inconsistency. Lakers’ management saw a chance to unload a somewhat pricey contract and build towards the future by acquiring Paul. This is the business side of the game and Odom if nothing else should now know all too well that in the NBA, nothing is guaranteed.

Michael Porter

Michael Lorenzo Porter is a sports fanatic who was born and raised all over Southern California. He brings a healthy knowledge of all things Lakers, Dodgers, L.A. Kings and Madden. His passion is only matched by his continuing quest for knowledge and thirst for stats concerning the vast world of sports.